Return
by Mango Marbles
Summary: Noctis could only hope that he was going insane.
1. Chapter 1: Memories of Forgotten Times

_She lay still, as if made of stone. Neither wind nor rain would have the ability to move her. He was reluctant to lift the statue of a girl into his arms. 'What happened to you?' he thought._

_Lingering in the air, the scent was becoming second nature to him. It was blood, quickly cooling, metallic liquid that once sustained life._

_She was dyed red, as if crimson teardrops were overflowing from her body's pain and sorrow. 'Her hair was pink once,' he told himself._

_Now, the bloody locks were matted to her porcelain skin._

_He allowed salty tears to drip down his face. He placed the girl onto his lap. Hovering inches from her pale face, his hand froze in place. Her eyes had to be closed. It's only normal that the eyes of a corpse are closed._

_He couldn't close them. Piercing, they stared at him. Accusingly, they judged him. His hand shook before he was finally able to guide her eyelids over her eyes for the final time. 'You promised,' he could hear her voice whisper._

* * *

Eyelids snapped open to be greeted by a small, chocolate brown feline with bright green eyes hovering over Noctis's face.

"Meow?" the sweet sound came from its mouth. Harmless, truly.

Noctis bolted upright and scooted away from the feline, falling off the edge of his mattress onto the ground, tangled in blankets.

"Aw, is Noct afraid of big, bad Serah?" questioned a pink-haired woman as she lifted the tiny cat off of the bed.

It took only one look at the tall woman standing in front of Noctis, wearing torn jeans and a sleeveless black shirt, to calm Noctis down from his nightmare. _She's alive. _He sighed in relief.

"Of course I'm not afraid of Serah. She's just a cat, after all." Noctis picked himself up off of the floor and stretched. Despite his many attempts at persuasion, Lightning refused to wear any of the dresses he picked out for her, even though he would say that they're befitting for a royal woman and many other women would kill to have the opportunity to wear such fine clothes.

'_Tch,' _she would say. _'Maybe that's why in most fairy tales, the woman gets captured. She would never be able to fight her captors in dresses like that. They're far too restricting.'_

She may have had a point, but Noctis would never have let anyone capture her.

Startled from his daydreams by Lightning snapping her fingers in front of his face, Noctis blinked. "What?"

"Well, I came here to wake you up, but it looks like Serah did the job for me. So, get ready and head down to the dining room to join everyone for breakfast." Lightning said bluntly before walking out of the room, taking the purring Serah with her.

While enjoying some fluffy pancakes, Noctis felt Serah lying on his feet. _Lazy cat, _he thought to himself.

It had been his idea to keep the stray cat, but Noctis had no idea that it would become so protective. There were times that Noctis had to leave the room because Serah wanted Light all to herself.

Maybe he made the situation worse by letting Light name that kitty. He should have suggested a name that doesn't 'sound familiar' to Light.

Noctis accepted the past and looked around the table. His blonde friend, Prompto, was having an animated conversation with their scarred friend, Gladiolus. Ignis merely pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his index finger and continued eating.

Lightning had long since abandoned her plate and opted to absentmindedly stare out the window.

Thinking nothing of her behavior, Noctis ate his breakfast and listened to Prompto and Gladiolus.

Prompto made a half circle in the air with his hands. "Then, the clouds split to let just enough sunlight through to create a rainbow."

Gladiolus chuckled. "Bullshit!" he cried. "Moogles aren't native to this kingdom's forests."

"How would you know? Have you ever been to the forests here?" Prompto pouted, he didn't like having his stories doubted.

"Well, Prompto, there is a plethora of books in the Royal Library about this kingdom's origins and inhabitants. If you would have taken a moment to inquire about the types of species the forests host, then you could have chosen one that would have made your story more… plausible." Ignis stated, never looking up from his plate.

_Always the scholar. _Noctis smirked. No matter how much time passed, Ignis never changed.

Prompto, arms crossed, sat in defeat. "Fine! I just won't tell you guys any more stories. Then, the day will come when you're begging for my entertainment!"

"Uh-huh." Gladiolus uttered before refilling his plate with fresh pancakes brought out of the kitchen by servants. "Just keep telling yourself that."

* * *

Noctis wandered through the twisting halls of his home: the castle. _Where did Lightning go? _He wondered to himself. He hadn't seen her since breakfast, she ate and left. Thinking it was better to leave her alone; Noctis suppressed the desire to ask her if something was wrong, while she was miles away in her own mind.

A pink haired figure tore Noctis from his thoughts. Sitting between rows of books, Lightning sat flipping through pages. Various books were scattered about her, some open, others closed. She was tense and looked through the pages with a scrutinizing gaze.

Noctis had not realized that he drifted to the Royal Library. For perhaps the first time, he thanked his mind for the lapse that lead him there.

Quietly, Noctis sat beside Light. When she didn't make any action that acknowledged him, Noctis cleared his throat rather loudly. Startled, Light snapped her head up and looked at the source of the sound, who was now desperately trying to suppress his laughter.

Lightning spoke in a low tone. "What?"

Clearing his throat, Noctis finally fought his fit of laughter. "You've seemed… withdrawn lately."

"So?"

"Well, I just want to know if something is wrong."

Lighting snapped shut the book in her hands and faced Noctis. From the book rose puffs of dust. "I'm just thinking about my past, that's all."

"Did you find anything?" Noctis nearly shouted. He knew Light had been searching for who she had been. Since her arrival, she couldn't remember anything, but she decided to call herself Lightning. Noctis always assumed it was because of the lightning bolt necklace she wore.

Standing, Light murmured words so softly that Noctis almost missed them. "I hope not."

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this first chapter.


	2. Chapter 2: Gone

Noctis hoped his friends wouldn't notice his fidgeting. Feeling as though he were embraced by chains, he had no choice but to squirm attempting to free himself from restraint.

"Uh, you all right, Noct?" Prompto stopped telling his newest tall tale to question the prince. Noctis was almost touched. Almost.

Glancing around the table, Noctis reluctantly spoke. "It's just that today I was… but I can't find her… she's usually at breakfast and afterwards I was going to…"

"C'mon, Noct, use your big boy words." Gladiolus said grinning at the prince's ever reddening face.

Noctis could feel his tongue twisting itself into a knot. Knowing he's incapable of getting a complete sentence out, he reach deep into his pocket and slapped a glistening ring onto the table. He quickly looked away from his friends' inquisitive eyes.

"Dude…" Prompto was even speechless for once? Noctis thought that might have been a blessing; however, he knew all too well that the blonde would likely continue rambling past his death.

"Well, it appears our fine prince has finally worked up some courage after three years of dating Light." Just as Noctis assumed, Ignis was the first one to comment with more than one word.

Before shoving the ring back in his pocket, Noctis bobbed his head in affirmation. There was no way he wanted Light to walk in for breakfast and end up seeing the ring he bought for her.

"Do… any of you know where she is?" For some reason, Noctis's mouth still felt dry, but his tongue was no longer tangled into knots. If only he could say the same for his stomach.

"Sorry, Noct, I haven't seen her since breakfast yesterday." Gladiolus pushed his plate away as he spoke. _He must've lost his appetite because he feels guilty for being unable to help, _Noctis thought. It was something that happened often, but it reassured him of Gladiolus's faithfulness as a friend.

"No need to worry, Noct. We'll find her before the day is over for sure!" Prompto grinned. Grabbing his gun, he stood up and stretched.

"I'll start on the East side of the castle!" The blonde shouted before running out of the kitchen.

The three young men laughed at their friend's childishness and opted to finish breakfast before searching. Noctis didn't want his stomach rumbling while he asked Light to marry him. The butterflies that appeared whenever she was around were enough for his tastes.

* * *

The room intoxicated him with its scent. Seemingly the best place to search for any clues of Light's whereabouts, Noctis headed to her room. After taking a few deep breathes, he searched for notes or anything worthwhile.

What caught his attention was an old, leather-bound book resting on a nightstand beside her bed. If he recalled correctly, it was the same one that she took with her from the library yesterday. Hesitantly, he picked the book up. Coughing from the dust assaulting him, he read the title. _A New_ _Life on Pulse_ the cover read.

_Why would she take this? _Noctis wondered. _The events in here happened millennia ago._

Opening the book, Noctis began to skim through the pages. Few things interested him until midway through the book. What bothered Noctis was the name that was consistently appearing in the texts: Serah. In every age, her name appeared. From the Fall of Cocoon to the Rise of Bhunivelze, she had somehow been present for every event that happened.

_But Bhunivelze fell out of the sky a long time ago. Not even its ashes remain anymore._ Noctis flipped through a few more pages, but there were no more mentions of Serah.

_Maybe she's Light's ancestor. She did name that cat Serah._

Noctis shook those thought from his head. How would she have known of such a distant ancestor when she couldn't even remember her last name?

Three years ago, Noctis had found Light in Etro's Shrine. She didn't remember anything and was extremely guarded, but Noctis had somehow convinced her to stay in the castle until she found her family.

"Ugh!" In frustration, Noctis threw the book at the far wall. Obviously, nothing in the room was about to be useful to him. It was time to move onto a different room. Maybe the others were having better luck. _Ignis probably has the best chance of finding her. He'll know just what to look for and what to make of the things he finds. _

Of course, he could leave the work to his friends and just linger in Light's room for awhile. It smells so good…

Slapping his forehead, Noctis marched himself out of her room. If he wants to propose to Light, he should be decent enough to search for him.

_It's probably just a prank anyway. She does have a cruel sense of humor, after all._

* * *

How many halls of guestrooms did this damn castle have? Noctis thought his feet were going to sink into the ground. Frustration clouded his mind, he restrained himself from damaging his home. He walked through the halls all day looking for Light, the only place left in his search section were the guestrooms.

Somehow, the guest halls seemed darker than the rest of the castle. Figuring that it was due to the fact that guests don't stay at the castle very often, so the servants likely neglected these halls, Noctis continued on the dark, marble floor. Dim lights did mean less electricity was being used…

**Crash!**

Standing still, Noctis tried to pinpoint where the sound came from. He knew it was a little farther down the hall, so he stepped slowly and quietly. If there was an intruder, he did not want to alert them of his presence.

**Thump!**

Barging through the door to his right, Noctis summoned swords that encircled the source of the noises.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I'll pay for it I swear, just please don't hurt me!" an accented, high-pitched voice cried out.

The adrenaline emptied from his body and a sight he never expected met his eyes.

A young red-haired girl with pig-tails was huddled on the ground beside pieces of what Noctis assumed was a vase. Quickly dismissing his swords, Noctis approached the girl and helped her to her feet.

Brushing herself off, the girl giggled. "Thanks! I'll buy you a new vase, I swear. I just wanted to get a closer look of it and, well, I'm a bit unsteady on my feet."

Noctis shook his head. "No, don't worry about it. I thought you were a robber or assassin, so I should be sorry for almost impaling you."

"Not a problem. How did you do that sword trick anyway?" As the girl looked at Noctis with bright green eyes, he couldn't help but think of Prompto. He and this girl were really just children in adult bodies, it seemed.

"Practice. Now tell me why you were snooping around here anyway."

"Well," the girl began. "I'm looking for my friend, and I thought she may have wandered over to here."

"That's one bad reason for frolicking through places you don't belong in." As Noctis narrowed his eyes at the girl, she fixated her gaze on the wall.

"How about we make a deal and I don't have to give a reason at all?" The girl proposed.

Noctis pondered whether this girl was Prompto's long lost sister. "What do you have to offer me? I can buy anything I want. And, if you had something else in mind, I'm going to be a happily married man soon."

Noctis mentally beat himself. _You idiot, don't say things like that…_

The girl looked at Noctis with a red face and a jaw dropped. She shook her head fiercely. "No, no, no, no, no! It's nothing like that! I was just going to say that if you find my friend, I'll take you to where your friend is!"

Slowly, Noctis processed the words in his mind. _Who told her I was looking for someone?_

"Just who are you?"

* * *

A/N: First, thank you to every reader. I appreciate that people take the time to read something I wrote, it's a pretty amazing feeling. Reviews are also appreciated as well.

Second, I'm sorry if the pacing is a bit slow, I've only written one-shots so far and pacing is not a strength of mine. It's okay to be confused at this point, but don't worry. I'm not writing it blindly, I have an outline done that allows a bit of room for changes but is structured enough to keep me on track.


	3. Chapter 3: Vanille and Fang

Already, Noctis didn't like this girl. He, being the prince, was used to bargains in order to avoid any war. However, the bargain never involved the retrieval of someone so dear to him. The very idea made Noctis's blood boil as if it was in a cauldron over a roaring fire.

"My name is Vanille. Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to cause trouble. I can help you, but I need your help first."

"I don't trust you." Noctis spat. He had been searching for his hopefully future wife the entire day, the last thing he wanted was to waste his time helping this girl, only to find out she was lying.

"You have to! You're looking for Light, I know her. I know how to get to her, but I can't get you there before you bring me my friend!" Vanille had her fists clenched tightly by her sides. Desperation was clear in her voice.

Frustration rising, Noctis growled. His mind told him not to listen to this girl, but his gut told him that she may really be able to help.

"Tell me how I can earn your trust, I'll do it!" squeaked Vanille.

"Tell me where Light is and why I can't get there myself."

Vanille shifted her weight from foot to foot. To Noctis, she appeared nervous.

"Well, you see, you can't get there, because 'she' doesn't want you there. However, if you find who I'm looking for and bring her here before midnight, we can take you there. You have to believe me. How about, if it turns out I'm lying after 1:00 in the morning, you can make use both your prisoners and execute us or or—"

"Okay, enough!" Noctis yelled. He had to use all of his strength to refrain from murdering Vanille if only to quiet her.

"I'll find your friend, but if 1:00 comes and you were lying," Noctis's eyes turned crimson as he glared at the small girl. "I'll kill you."

Vanille nodded and quickly stammered out "Her name is Fang. She has long, black hair and usually wears a blue outfit!"

Noctis wasted no time in leaving the room and locking Vanille inside. His father, in a moment of genius, decided to equip the guestrooms with doors that lock from the outside. This way, if a guest acted suspiciously, they could be contained in their room and put under a soldier's watch. It helped that the rooms have no windows, due to being in the castle's interior.

Next, he called his friends and told them to search for Fang. Noctis had hoped that one of them had maybe run into her already, but there was no such luck.

_What kind of name is Fang?_ Noctis mused. _Someone named Fang; I'd expect them to be more feral. Where could she be?_

* * *

The idea of the name Fang drove Noctis to stroll over to the soldier training grounds. Although the grounds were slightly illuminated night training was still in process; after all, the soldiers had to be prepared for any situation for any time. Everything seemed fairly normal to Noctis.

"Give me some damn answers or I'll give you hell!" A voice with an accent similar to Vanille's shouted from near the castle's wall.

Noctis turned to his right and saw a woman with wild hair holding a man against the wall by his uniform's lapel. A few other soldiers were grabbing at her arms to pull her away from the man, but she pushed them away and returned her attention to her victim.

Walking up to the cluster of people, Noctis nodded at the soldiers trying to free their comrade, the signal he and his father used to relieve and thank a soldier for their duty. "Enough," he told the woman.

The woman faced Noctis and glared at him. "Who the hell are you to order me around?"

Noctis glanced at the poor soldier being held against a wall before addressing the woman he assumed was Fang. "Look, I'm in a bit of a rush. Your little friend, Vanille, is sitting in my castle breaking things and telling me a bundle of special order riddles tied with a great, big bow. The sooner I get you there, the sooner I get some answers."

Fang pushed the soldier into the wall one more time and released her grip, allowing the man to slide down the cold surface. "Listen here, I'll only follow you because you called my friend by her name. But if you try anything, I swear to any and every Fal'Cie that I will rip you apart limb by limb and enjoy every moment of watching your blood pool onto the ground."

_What a pleasant image._

Noctis sighed. "All right, fair enough."

While leading Fang to Vanille, Noctis called Ignis and told him to round up Gladiolus and Prompto and meet him in front of the fourth guestroom on the right.

Ignis, Gladiolus, and Prompto were already present by the time Noctis had reached the room. He tried to arrive sooner, but Fang kept trying to be independent and find the way herself. A few minutes from midnight, they finally arrived.

After unlocking the door, Noctis attempted to enter the room, only to be pushed aside by Fang as she rushed in to embrace Vanille.

"Fang!" the red head exclaimed.

"Vanille," Fang breathed in a relieved tone. "Don't go runnin' off on me again, got it?"

Vanille laughed softly and nodded. Breaking away from Fang's embrace, she turned her attention to Noctis and his friends. "I guess we owe you one trip to Light, huh?"

Fang cracked her knuckles. "Easy! Any of you know the time?"

Prompto scratched the back of his head. "Uhh, does that really matter?"

"Of course it matters!" Fang was close to shouting. Her wild eyes bore into Prompto like she was trying to drain his soul straight from his body. Prompto promptly hid behind Gladiolus, earning himself a disappointed, yet amused, look from the tall man with the scar.

"It is 12:15, approximately." Ignis stated in his calm, cool voice.

"Good enough. Ready, Vanille?"

Vanille bounced from foot to foot, as if she was standing on hot coals. "Ready!"

A blue glow filled the room. Fang placed her hand on Vanille's shoulder as the smaller girl made a strange symbol with her hands that resembled a capital A.

"We waited for the Witching Hour, the pinnacle of l'Cie power," Vanille chanted.

"Boundaries disappear, open to a land of fear," continued Fang.

"Where lost is found, and found is lost, only the queen is not to be crossed." The duo finished their eerie chant together.

Growing in intensity, the blue glow engulfed the room. Noctis swore he heard a female laugh as he fell from consciousness. The words Fang and Vanille chanted resonated in his head.

_Where lost is found, and found is lost._

* * *

A/N: Once again, thank you for taking the time to read and review my story. It means more to me than you can imagine and encourages me to make this story the best I can make it. Until next time, take care!


	4. Chapter 4: Otherworld

Thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance. The electrical scent of lightning permeated the air.

_Lightning…_

Slowly, Noctis became aware of his conscious returning; attempting to escape the darkness that currently haunted it. Around him, people were shuffling. The discord of steps assaulted his ears.

He became aware of the cold surface he currently laid upon, but he couldn't remember why he was here in the first place.

_Oh right, it was those two girls…They sent me here._

With a groan, Noctis opened his eyes and pushed himself off of the ground. After a few moments of swaying, he gained his footing and examined his surroundings.

In the sky, clouds loomed in swirling patterns. They were dark clouds: reds, deep blues, and purples. Every now and then, a lightning bolt would illuminate the clouds in white, hot light. Thunder would follow seconds later.

Noctis spotted a man approaching him. "Hey, have you seen a woman with pink hair?" Noctis questioned as he ran the remaining distance to the man and grabbed his shoulder.

Except, Noctis didn't grab his shoulder; instead, his hand passed through the man. Multicolored wisps rose from Noctis's hand. "What are you?" Noctis yelled at the man.

Turning around, Noctis realized that the man was no longer there. _Where the hell am I?_

Groaning came from the ground near Noctis. Turning, he saw that his friends were now regaining consciousness. One by one, they picked themselves up off of the ground. Slowly, the confusion and, in Prompto's case, fear set in.

"Hey Noct," Gladiolus mumbled. "Any idea of where we are?"

The prince shook his head. Noctis had never hoped this much for something to be a prank. Was it too much to ask for Light back?

Noctis remembered how difficult it was to get Light to stay in the first place. When he had found her, Light didn't have any of her memories, though she wouldn't admit it until much later.

It was late at night and Noctis had gone to Etro's Shrine to say a prayer for his deceased mother. At the shrine, he saw Light sitting on the steps playing with a survival knife. After some cajoling, they returned to the castle for the night.

Morning came and Light was eager to leave, but Noctis insisted she have breakfast before she left. She made quite the convincing argument, until her stomach audibly rumbled. Glowing with the newly acquired feeling of victory, Noctis lead her through the castle's twisting hallways to the dining room.

Breakfast was very quiet. While she ate, her pink hair covered her eyes. Noctis couldn't see any expression from her. There was so much he wanted to know about this strange woman, but he was running out of time. In desperation he stammered out "Where do you live?"

Lightning looked up from her plate and met Noctis's dark blue eyes with her own icy blue eyes. He shifted in his seat as he felt his nervousness rise in his stomach. Trying to appear suddenly interested in the dining room's walls, he averted his gaze. "Well, I just want to be able to see you again."

If Noctis had not been listening, he would have missed the words she just barely whispered. "I can't get home."

At that point, Noctis gave Light the friendliest smile he could and started lecturing her about why she should stay at his castle.

That was how Noctis discovered that Light is not fond of being lectured.

He also discovered that Light could likely break a man's jaw, if she desired to.

By the end of that day, Light had no other choice but to take Noctis's offer. It was the start of the best three years of Noctis's life.

So, why did those years lead him to this foreign place?

The ramblings of Ignis and Gladiolus brought Noctis out of his reminiscent state.

"It's obvious we are in a place where we shouldn't exist. See," Ignis reached out and touched Gladiolus's arm. "We're both solid objects. However, when I tried to reach out and touch the residents of this land, my hand passed right through them."

"And this means that we're where exactly?" Gladiolus sounded anxious to hear the answer. He never did like feeling lost. The last time he was lost, Noctis had found him and allowed him to stay at the castle. They were only children then. He found it amusing that his friends all stayed at his home, almost as if it were a hotel.

"Well, the best conclusion is that we are actually where spirits of the dead reside." Ignis stuck his hands in his pockets, but kept a calm composure.

Prompto jumped into the conversation at this point. "Do you mean that Light is, well…"

"Dead?" Ignis continued for the blonde fellow. "Not necessarily. Take us for example. All four of us are alive and breathing, yet we are mingling with the dead. We were sent here, so Light could be in a similar situation."

Noctis stared down at his hands. His dream from last night started to overtake his senses. Blood, it was all over his hands. The crimson dripped from his hands onto the ground below. _Focus on your hands and you won't have to see her like that, _he told himself. The metallic smell made him want to vomit.

Noctis felt a large hand clap him on the shoulder. Gladiolus. "You okay, Noct?"

Startled, the raven haired prince faced his friend. Gladiolus must have seen the horror in his eyes. "We're alive in this place. Plus, we didn't find Light's body or anything like that while searching."

Noctis nodded. While he was thankful for Gladiolus's attempts to comfort him, he wanted to find Light as soon as possible. Then, his mind would be at ease.

Choosing a direction at random, Noctis began walking. His friends followed him. "Do you know where you're going?" Prompto asked.

"Does it matter? Anything is better than standing in one place," was Noctis's simple reply.

_Light, wait for me. Just a little longer, I promise._

* * *

Noctis felt like he had been searching forever. The fog encasing the ghost city was too dense to see beyond ten feet. Strangely, Noctis noticed that the longer they walk in this direction, the more people they saw. He hoped that was a good sign.

"Ugh, are we there yet?" Prompto asked. He had asked that question every few minutes since they begun walking. The blonde man lacked any form of patience.

"No." Ignis's replies became shorter each time Prompto asked. It was obvious that even scholarly Ignis, with the patience of a saint, was nearing frustration at his questions.

Prompto suddenly perked up. "Hey, look over there!" he exclaimed before running off.

"You damn fool," Gladiolus muttered before chasing the blonde.

Noctis heard Ignis sigh behind him as he, too, rushed towards his friend.

Upon arriving, Noctis saw what had captured Prompto's attention. It was a house. Not a big house, yet not small either. What stuck out the most was the ethereal glow emanating from the entire house. Noctis opened his mouth to speak, but the door opened. When he looked at the figure leaving the house, any word he might have wanted to say vanished.

Leaving the house was a woman with pink hair, short on her right side and long on her left. Framed by light from within the house stood Lightning.

A/N: This chapter was a bit difficult for me to write, though I'm not quite sure why. Sorry!  
Anyway, as always, thank you for reading and reviewing!


	5. Chapter 5: She

Joy. When was the last time Noctis felt so happy? He couldn't remember. There were many times when he was happy, but he didn't know happiness in its purest form until he found the woman he loved after fearing the loss of her.

Relief flowed through Noctis's veins like cool water. His muscles all became relaxed, the weariness washed away. A sigh escaped his lips.

Naturally, a smile spread across Noctis's face, but he wouldn't have it any other way. As Light walked closer, Noctis called out to her, "Light!"

The click of Light's boots on the ground ceased as she looked around, hand on the hilt of her sheathed gunblade. Noctis noticed a girl was following Light. Eerily, she looked extremely similar to Light, the same pink hair and blue eyes. She wore a short, plaid skirt, brown shoes, black thigh-highs, a sleeveless white shirt, and a sweeper. The tails of her cat earrings dangled down. Her hair was gathered on the left; however, unlike Light, her hair was in a ponytail. In Noctis's opinion, the girl looked like an innocent, little girl.

"Something wrong?" she asked Light in a sugar sweet voice.

"It's nothing; I just thought I heard something."

"Well, no time to dilly-dally! You have to get to work."

Light nodded. "Yeah, go inside. Just in case anybody is snooping around here. Stay by your big oaf."

The girl giggled. "Okay."

Noctis was dumbfounded. Light didn't hear him? She couldn't even see him? He reached out to grab Light, but his arm froze as black tendrils rose from the ground and wrapped around his extremities.

"What the hell is this?" cried Gladiolus.

Noctis glanced over and saw his friends appeared to also be frozen by black tendrils. They felt so cold, he felt them crawling on his body. As they headed towards his neck, he began to panic. Breathing no longer seemed like an option. Any available air was denied entrance into his lungs by the tendrils.

The atmosphere turned black, like midnight's prime with no moon to guide the poor souls. Sound seemed to cease existing. Everything became deathly quiet and even when Noctis could see his friends' mouths moving, no words came out. The ground broke through the midnight cape with a glow emitted from deep beneath the ground's glassy surface. A red glow, filled with malevolence.

In front of the men, a young woman appeared. The same one whom Noctis had thought looked innocent. Her eyes were glassed over with malicious intentions. One at a time, she glared at the four men.

"Stay away from her!" she screeched. Her sugar sweet voice had disappeared; it was replaced by a voice filled with venom that dripped off every word.

After her warning, the girl disappeared, as did the tendrils. The atmosphere returned to normal and the ground lost its glow.

"Are we all okay?" asked Ignis's collected voice.

"Only if this is a dream. A really bad dream," replied Noctis.

No one said anything more on the subject.

"Sis saw something out here?" bellowed a deep, male voice.

"Well, just stay inside and leave the dirty work to your hero!" Out of the house came a monstrous blonde man. He wore a trench coat, black bandana, and big black boots.

Folding his hands behind his head, the monster man strolled over to the group of men. He donned a cocky grin. "Well, I see we have some guests."

Noctis narrowed his eyes at the man, but it was Ignis who spoke first. He was used to being diplomatic in troublesome situations. "I see that you're the first normal one in this place that can see us. Why is that?"

The man sighed and lost his cocky demeanor. "Look, I know you have a lot of questions, but I have a limited amount of time to chat with you guys. The short version is: I can see you because I'm not being kept here against my will. She keeps Light on a tight leash and she definitely doesn't want Light to see you."

"Why not?" asked Noctis, hurt evident in his voice. "Who's 'she'?"

"Snow!" shouted a sweet voice. "Are you all right out there?"

"Coming!" yelled Snow in response. He pat Noctis on the shoulder, hard. "Guess time's up. Get Light back where she belongs, 'kay?" With that, Snow ran into the house.

"It was nothing a hero couldn't handle." The group heard him say before the door closed behind him.

"Now what?" Gladiolus questioned.

"That depends, is the crazy bitch going to come back?" Prompto kept glancing around with his gun ready.

"She probably thinks her little show from before is enough to scare us off," Ignis offered.

"Will it be?" Gladiolus asked as he looked over at Noctis.

Noctis clenched his hands into fists. He wanted to feel his fingernails dig deeply into the palms of his hands. Blood, he wanted the blood of anyone trying to keep Light away from him. With, now, crimson eyes, Noctis looked each friend straight in the eyes and hissed his response. "Like hell it will be."

* * *

He had spent the day showing Light around her new home. She had finally gotten used to the people around the castle, even though she had mostly stayed in her room. From the throne room to the gardens, he left out nothing. Well, except his room. It was his personal space though.

While roaming the garden, Light stopped and cupped her hand beneath a blooming rose. She lifted the pink flower to her nose and inhaled the scent from its velvet petals.

Noctis always liked the garden. Tranquil and colorful, a stone path was guarded by countless flowers and laid beneath countless trees. As a child, Noctis liked sneaking into the woods from the garden. Without the castle walls enveloping the garden, the guards didn't see him dart through the plants and into the woods. He remembered that feeling of terror, when his heart beat too quickly and his lungs decided to compress themselves.

It was similar to the feeling he felt at that moment. Seeing red splatter onto the roses, Noctis quickly turned and stared in horror.

Blood dripped down Light's arm, dying her white uniform top. Noctis scanned the area for any intruder, but they were either well-hidden or already gone. When he heard the rustle of leaves and saw the tip of a gun pointed at Light and himself, Noctis cursed himself for convincing Light that she wouldn't need her gunblade; they wouldn't be out for that long.

Quickly, Noctis glanced at Light to make sure she was all right. But he chose the wrong time to do so. Light's eyes widened and the next thing Noctis knew, he was pushed to the side as a bullet meant for him tore through Light's abdomen instead. The impact of the blow pushed Light backwards. It was obvious that she didn't have the strength anymore to catch herself. Noctis knew it had been a long time since he was afraid of losing anyone important to him. Even though he hadn't known Light for very long, he knew that she was precious to him.

Feeling the anger flow through his veins, Noctis caught Light before she hit the ground and scooped her into his arms. Eyes burning crimson, he turned to face the attackers and summoned his army of swords.

* * *

Trailing Lightning had been Ignis's suggestion. The theory was that when Light was far enough away from the other girl, then Light would be able to see them again. Well, they had been following her through the streets for what seemed like hours when Noctis knew the time passed couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes.

Each click of Light's boots against the cold, glassy ground reminded Noctis of how painfully close she was. If he walked just a little bit faster, then he could reach out and grab her. Just a little bit faster…

Running forwards, Noctis broke down and closed the distance between Light and himself. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her soft pink curls brush against his cheeks.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing! As more things happen, I find the story becoming more difficult to write. When in doubt, I reread the reviews and they give me motivation to keep writing the story. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!


	6. Chapter 6: The Storm

"Another dream?" she breathed.

Noctis felt his breath hitch. He tightened his arms around Light. Starting from his chest, a warm feeling spread through his body. He vehemently shook his head. "No. No, Light. I'm the real thing." A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. "I think I should be asking if you're the dream."

"I'm as real as I've ever been."

Noctis had begun doubting if he would ever hear her voice again. While it was a voice befitting her tough nature, it was the sweetest sound to ever reach Noctis's ears.

"Sorry to interrupt, but there's plenty of time for you two to catch up when we get home," Prompto's voice reminded Noctis that his friends were there too. Although he was a bit embarrassing, he refused to loosen his grip on Light.

Noctis suddenly felt the weight of the ring, still tucked away safely in its case inside his pocket. _I guess I'll have to wait a little longer to ask…_

The thought depressed Noctis, but he knew this wasn't the time or place. Besides, he wanted to propose to her in the garden, next to the rose bushes she loved so much.

"I don't suppose you happen to know where we are, do you?" leave it to Ignis to get to the point.

Light chuckled softly. "That's a bit difficult to answer."

"How about a short version?" Prompto suggested.

After a moment, Light simply said, "This is the life I once wished for," she glanced back at Noctis. "But no longer want."

"I'm confused." The blonde stated.

"How did you get here?" Ignis questioned.

"I woke up here."

"Have you tried returning home?" Ignis had a condescending tone in his voice.

"It wasn't as simple as that," Noctis could tell Light was offended that Ignis thought she wouldn't try to return. "I woke up in the hospital here. Serah told me that I was wounded during a mission and had been unconscious for days. When I told her about the three years I spent at the castle, she looked so sad. I told her to forget about, that I probably hit my head or something."

"How come you didn't see us outside that house?" Gladiolus was the curious one this time.

"I heard a sound, was that you guys?"

Noctis nodded. "We came here to take you back, and I promise you that we will all return home unscathed."

"When Serah is distanced from me, I start to notice things that shouldn't be here. I start to remember more. But when I return home, I forget again. I don't know what it is that causes it."

Noctis rocked Light back and forth in his arms ever so slightly, he could tell that she had been just as frustrated as him. For some reason, it was a little comforting. At least she didn't abruptly leave in the middle of the night, or worse.

_Calm yourself, Noct. She's right here. Put your imagination to rest now._

"None of that information is immediately useful. Do you know how to leave here?" Ignis was beginning to lose his calm. It was a rare event for Ignis to be frustrated, but with the current situation, Noctis couldn't blame the man. They were all a little on edge.

"My guess would be to get as far away from Serah as possible. When she's far away, the world starts to dim. It takes on a more dismal atmosphere," Light said, but Noctis noticed the sad tone in her voice.

"What's wrong?" he whispered into her ear.

When she shook her head, he felt her pink locks brush against his cheek. He inhaled the fleeting, delightful scent that the locks contained.

"It's nothing," she whispered back.

Noctis wanted to say that she's lying, but he knew it wouldn't go over well. _You can always ask when you're both back home._

Prompto pointed into the distance. "So, if we start walking to there," he started. "We'll be able to leave here." He pointed to the ground for emphasis, or out of stupidity. Noctis really didn't know anymore. He loved the blonde man like a brother, but his mind was definitely not all there.

"I suppose so. Besides, we don't have many other options." Ignis straitened his glasses and began walking in the direction Prompto pointed.

Noctis kept his arm around Light's waist as they walked. Like hell he planned on letting go of her.

* * *

Already, Light was sick of lying in the infirmary. It had only been a day since she was shot in the garden and Noctis had stayed by her bedside. However, that wasn't enough to keep Light from moving.

While walking slowly down the hall, Noctis kept a close watch on Light. Noctis agreed to not tell the doctors that Light was walking about, but only if he joined her and they walked slowly. Honestly, Noctis thought he got the good side of the deal.

Their walk was quiet, but Noctis didn't mind. He felt at peace.

* * *

Now it was a different story. It was quiet, but there were so many things Noctis wanted to say to Light. However, he knew that now wasn't the right time. He would have all the time in the world when they were married.

"How much longer would you say we have, Light?" Ignis broke the silence.

"Maybe an hour, at the most. I'm usually home by then, so Serah will be worried if I'm not."

"Then, why would you make me worry?" Light broke free of Noctis's grip and faced the small girl behind them. She held her hands clasped in front of her chest. Her head was tilted down and her pink bangs covered her eyes.

"Come home, Sis. Don't make me worry." Serah looked up with a sad smile. With her arms open, she began to walk towards Light.

Noctis pushed Light behind him and narrowed his eyes at Serah. "Stop this madness, Serah," Light yelled.

"Why won't you come home?" Serah's smile faltered. "Is it because of them?" she questioned, motioning to the men.

Light stepped in front of Noctis. Her voice was stern. "Leave them out of this."

Serah grinned and tilted her head. "Leave who out of this, Light?"

Falling to her knees, Light cradled her head in her hands. "Shit. Serah! Stop this!"

Noctis reached down to Light, but a burst of power from Serah knocked him backwards. "Go to sleep, Sis," Serah mumbled. "When you wake up, all will be well."

Lightning lost consciousness and fell to the ground. Serah walked past her and dragged the men into a hell-hole they never wanted to see again.

Still recovering from the blow, Noctis tried to stand up. To his dismay, pain shot through his body. When he looked at his ankles, he noticed strange cuffs anchoring him to the ground. He wasn't prepared for the electricity that shot from them and through his body.

While he lay helpless, the ground began to glow the eerie red glow again. Its strength pulsed, like a heart. Each pulse sent tingles of electricity through his body. The buildings faded to black and all that was left were the men and Serah. Even Light had faded away. The scent of smoke and burning wood reached Noctis's nose.

_It's different from last time. Where did these electric cuffs come from? And that pulse… Could Serah be-?_

Noctis's thoughts were cut short by Serah's voice. "I warned you!" she screeched.

As she glared at the helpless men, Serah clenched her fists. Noctis noticed she was starting to breathe heavily. _She's running out of strength!_

Trying to get up, Noctis was once again subdued by a burst of electricity. A screech rivaling a banshee rang through the air and Serah sent one last burst of power outwards. As Noctis's vision blurred and he started to lose consciousness, the words that he wanted to tell Light ran through his mind. But there were four that remained there, written in white ink against the black background of his mind. _"Will you marry me?"_

* * *

A/N: As always, thank you for reading and reviewing!_  
_


	7. Chapter 7: Her Domain

Noctis's eyelids felt heavy, so very heavy. Dancing around him, scents of various flowers assaulted his sense of smell. However, he didn't mind. They smelt good. Besides, they gave him a sense of comfort. _Am I back home?_

He heard voices, but the words weren't making any sense to him. After a minute, they were speaking clearly. One of the voices Noctis could never mistake.

_Lightning! _Noctis snapped his eyes open and sat straight up. Sunlight temporarily blinded him, but he could make out two silhouettes against the bright light. _Light and…who?_

After his eyes adjusted to the light, Noctis couldn't believe who he saw Light talking to. Wearing a black suit with a silky, black shirt, hands in his pockets and stern expression, it was a man. He had midnight black hair that was slightly spiky at the back of his head. _It's…me?_

Noctis watched himself talking to Lightning. He remembered the conversation, it was when his curiosity finally won out and he asked Light if that was her real name, or just an alias.

He stood up and moved closer to the two. The whole experience felt foreign to Noctis. Watching a past conversation from outside of his body, well, he really didn't know what to do. So, he sat on the closest bench and observed.

Before long, Noctis started to get an eerie feeling, as if he was being watched. He glanced around and didn't see anything unusual. Still, the feeling persisted and finally, he saw the source.

Leaning against a tree, just a few feet from Light and Noctis, was a slightly translucent Serah. She seemed to fade from existence now and then. Tears streamed down her face, she seemed confused as to why she was there. Or why Lightning was there. Noctis didn't really know, he only knew she looked utterly confused.

Boiling fury overcame Noctis. It's her fault he's here right now! It's her fault that Light was taken from him! She was the cause of so much heartache in such a small amount of time. There was nothing Noctis wanted more than to see her blood stain the ground.

As he stepped closer to Serah, he could hear her mumbling under her breath. "Why won't you answer me?" she repeated, like her own little mantra.

Some of Noctis's rage subsided. Right now, Serah was just a confused girl. She looked ready to break apart. Sobs shook her body and her hands trembled. Noctis sighed. _Damn it! _He kicked a nearby rock. _I can't kill her when she's like this. It'd be no better than killing a child._

Noctis began to walk away. When he glanced back, he saw Serah burying her face in her hands. He shook his head. _How did she become a monster?_

* * *

As Noctis walked down the path, away from himself and Light, the scenery around him faded to black. Beneath him, the ground gave way and he felt himself falling into darkness.

Normally, he would have been surprised. He would have yelled or flailed in search of something to grab onto, but this time he didn't. He actually felt calm.

Warmth filled his limbs and left a tingling sensation. Noctis felt like he was falling very slowly, as if he were merely sinking in water. Since he could breathe, he figured he was pretty safe from drowning. _Unless I've already drowned._

Submitting to the feeling, Noctis let himself be dragged down further into darkness. It wasn't as though he were in a hurry of any sort; Lightning was once again in Serah's clutches.

Noctis felt himself stop falling and land on cold ground.

Groaning, Noctis sat up and opened his eyes. "Where am I?" the prince grumbled.

"The same place you were before you decided to take an exntended dirt nap, Sleeping Beauty," mocked Gladiolus, earning a laugh out of the other men.

"Ha. Ha," mumbled Noctis as he stood up and brushed the dust from his suit. He liked this suit, too. Well, Light liked it actually. But that prompted him to wear it more often.

"What do we do now?" Noctis asked. Right as he voiced his question, he broke out into a coughing fit. Acrid smoke filled his lungs. He covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve and looked around.

Every building he could see was coated in bright, dancing flames. Smoke poured out into the air. Noctis would have expected to hear people screaming, after all, there's a lot of fire and a lot of things on fire. The ground was still pulsing a deep red color from somewhere far below the surface. As Noctis looked up, through the smoke he could see twisting storm clouds. He had never seen storm clouds whose color bordered black.

"I suggest we head that way," Ignis pointed towards a distant object.

Noctis looked in the direction and saw a sight that terrified him. Serah had dragged his castle into this hell of her's. _Oh shit._

* * *

Noctis ran towards the castle, followed by his friends. When he pushed through the castle's giant, wooden doors, he was met by a strange creature charging him. He sidestepped to avoid the attack and took in the monster's appearance. He had never seen anything like it before.

It was very tall. Grey and light blue covered its crystal-like body. Jutting from its shoulders were bulky arms. An angry growl reverberated from its chest, where a red eye was present.

Gunfire resounded through the air. Prompto shot at the creature in an attempt to harm, or in the best case scenario, kill it. Sword drawn, Gladiolus ran up and started slashing at the rocky outer layer of the creature. It swung its massive arm down and knocked Gladiolus away.

"What the hell is this, Ignis? How do we kill it?" shouted Gladiolus over the sound of Prompto's gun.

"Aim for the red eye!" the man with dark brown hair shouted in reply.

Noctis took this as his cue. Summoning his swords, they circled him. He felt his hair brush against his skin as the wind from the movement influenced the midnight locks. With one motion, filled with anger and hatred towards Serah, he impaled the creature on his multiple swords. The blow pushed it back onto the stone steps leading to the castle's door. With a thump, it fell down lifeless. After a moment, it dissipated as tiny crystals.

"What was that?" Prompto questioned.

Ignis, as expected, replied. "It's an ancient creature called a Cie'th," he started. "Millennia ago, beings called Fal'Cie ruled over Pulse and a planet that once floated in the sky above us called Cocoon."

Ignis motioned to his chest. "The Fal'Cie would choose servants named l'Cie. These servants were branded with the red eye, as was on the Cie'th's chest, surrounded by black arrows. They had a focus, or mission, to complete before their brand evolved. Once their brand reached its final stage, the l'Cie was transformed into a Cie'th."

"So that's if the person didn't complete their focus?" asked a curious Prompto.

"Correct."

"What if they did complete it?" Noctis asked this time. He remembered reading a little about the l'Cie in the book he found in Light's room.

"Legend says they turn into crystal and receive eternal life."

"Why are there Cie'th here? Didn't the Fal'Cie all die off a long time ago?"

"I can't answer why they are here, but yes; they did die off a long time ago. The last l'Cie decided to challenge fate and take down the Fal'Cie."

Gladiolus chuckled. "I remember hearing that story as a kid! One girl from Cocoon was made a Pulse l'Cie. She was crystallized and her friends and family became l'Cie in an attempt to save her. In the end, they defeated the Fal'Cie. Cocoon started falling and two of them saved it by turning into Ragnarok. The four left were reunited with the first girl. Then, one of them suddenly disappeared and was never seen again."

Prompto grinned. "I remember that story too! It was my favorite as a kid. My brother would always add on to the end of it that one day the l'Cie that disappeared would return as a savior when the world needed her once again."

Noctis walked to the castle's entrance. The lights in the hallway were dim and flickered. Scratches and blood marks were scattered across the floor, and a bit on the walls. He took one step, the sound echoing through the dismal hall, before looking back at his friends. "Come."

* * *

Navigating through the halls of the castle was more difficult than before. Cie'th littered the interior and forced Noctis and his friends to kill them before they could continue walking. Leading them to the guestrooms, Noctis wanted to see if that book Light had was still sitting in her room.

As they approached the hallway with Light's room, Noctis began to hear infrequent sounds. He passed them off as more Cie'th walking around in the distance. But he noticed that, as he got closer to the room, the sounds increased in volume. Standing outside the door, Noctis realized that is was a song playing. The notes were far apart at times and close together at others. Most of the tinkling notes were lower in tone, very few were high notes.

Taking a deep breath, Noctis placed his hand on the cold, golden doorknob. The flickering lights in the dark hallway weren't helping his nervousness. _Who's in Light's room?_

With only one way to find out, Noctis summoned his courage and opened the door.

* * *

A/N: Hmm. Thank you for reading and reviewing! I truly hope you're enjoying this story so far.


	8. Chapter 8: The Girl and Her Guardian

As Noctis stood in the doorway, he rubbed his eyes.

The room was dark, only illuminated by a few candles. The flames flickered and danced, which gave the room a foreboding feel. It still smelt a bit like Light, which Noctis was thankful for. The warm scent made him feel a little more at ease.

On the floor sat a small girl, no older than ten, playing with a music box. She glanced up at the intruders before fixating her gaze once again on the wooden box spewing out music notes that formed the dismal song. But that glance was more than enough to throw Noctis off-guard.

The girl had pink hair short and spiky on the right side, long and curly on the left side. Her icy, blue eyes held a vacant expression, but Noctis could see a glint of ferocity shining in them. Her hands and bare feet were red, with what Noctis assumed to be dry blood. Although the white dress, tattered and stained with blood, gave Noctis some doubts, they were soon wiped away by all the evidence he saw. The little girl was Lightning.

"You're not a Cie'th?" questioned a man who placed himself between Noctis and small Light. Although it was more of a statement than a question, his tone was still wary. His posture was guarded, ready to attack the men.

The man was of average height. He had silver hair and bright green eyes. He wore was seemed to be a work uniform: grey pants, black boots, a white coat with yellow on the sleeves, a blue tie, and a belt with various storage pouches colored red and black. In his hand, he held a boomerang at ready. He watched Noctis and his friends with trained eyes. The smallest hostile move and Noctis was sure the boomerang would be flying towards them.

"Is that Light?" bellowed Prompto as he stepped closer, gun raised to counter the boomerang. Noctis put his arm to the side as a sign to not pass him. Hope turned his attention to the blonde man and raised his boomerang a little higher.

Noctis had come to the room to look at the book for information, but perhaps this man would be of more use.

"If this is Light, then why is she a child?" inquired Noctis. He gestured to himself. "She should be about my age."

"And about this tall!" added Prompto whilst holding his hand at a height around his shoulder, palm parallel to the ground.

"Boomerang down, kiddo. You heard the desperation in the man's voice. Pretty obvious they ain't here to hurt her," spoke a deep voice from another man.

Noctis looked to his left. A man with dark skin and an afro leaned against the wall, arms crossed. His pose reminded him of Light's seemingly favorite pose: arms crossed while leaning against an object. The man wore a green coat with a symbol on it. He also had boots like the silver haired man. _Do they work together?_

The first man lowered his boomerang and looked over to the man leaning against the wall. "I'm just being on the safe side. There's no telling what this place will cough up next." The man's voice seemed formal, but fragile at the same time.

The man walked over to his friend and clapped him on the shoulder. The man with the afro was obviously the older of the two. "I know. I want to keep her safe just as much as you. Right now, soldier girl reminds me of Dajh. Just a harmless kid sucked into chaos."

The silver hair man nodded before turning his attention to Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto. "My name's Hope. I was the Director of the Academy a long time ago." It was his turn to clap the afro man on the shoulder. "This is my friend Sazh."

The older man grinned and pats the pistols in their holsters on the sides of his legs. "I may be old, but I got a little fight left in me."

"Noctis, Ignis, Gladiolus, and I'm Prompto," spoke the blonde. He pointed to each man as he said their name.

"And she is?" Ignis asked, referring to the little girl still playing with the music box, unaffected by the adults' chatter.

Hope stepped aside and kneeled by the girl. Gently, he pet the pink locks on her head. "She'll only respond to 'Claire'."

"Hey, Hope. I'm guessin' they're gonna have more questions than we can answer. If you can handle things here, I'll go find someone who can answer all of their questions," Sazh said, already heading out of the room.

"Yeah, that's a good idea, Sazh."

Sazh left the room to track down his friend. Hope stood up and faced Noctis and his friends. "While we wait, I'll answer whatever I can."

"Is Claire, Light?" Noctis wasted no time asking.

Hope chuckled. "She won't be for a few more years. If we grew older here, that is."

Sighing, Noctis spoke again, "I'm sorry. I really don't understand your answer."

Hope shook his head. "I didn't expect you to. Lightning's real name is Claire. After her parents died, she decided to change her name in order to forget her past."

"Okay, my turn. How did she go from being an adult, to being a little kid?" Prompto raised his hand as he asked, like a school kid. _Mentally, I bet she's still more mature than Prompto._ Noctis grinned slightly at the thought.

"Actually, I'm not sure. Serah only said to take care of her, though I would've anyway. We made a promise, Light and I, to watch each other's back. I finally get to keep that promise." Hope grinned like a little boy.

"Why are there Cie'th here? There haven't been any l'Cie or Fal'Cie in millennia," said Ignis.

Hope looked shocked. "Has it really been that long?"

Ignis nodded. "Wow," Hope started. "I can't believe it."

The silver haired man shook his head, as if he were shaking away thoughts. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, when Serah was alive, I imagine Cie'th terrified her. If that was the case, she probably assumed the Cie'th would scare any trespassers in her domain."

"Why did the Cie'th scare her?" Gladiolus asked.

Prompto looked at Gladiolus with a bemused expression. "Have you _seen_ the Cie'th, man? They're terrifying bastards."

"Yes, but we never saw one until today. How did Serah know they were terrifying enough to guard this place?"

"Well, Serah almost became one. In the end, she actually turned into crystal and the rest of us became l'Cie while attempting to avenge her."

"The rest of us?"

"Yeah," Hope said. "Lightning, Snow, Sazh, and me. Vanille was a l'Cie before that, and Fang was already a l'Cie when we met."

"How long have you been here? How did you _get_ here?" Noctis was becoming more confused every time Hope answered a question.

"Serah died after defeating a man named Caius. After she died, the chaos of Valhalla was unleashed upon the world because with Caius, Etro had died as well. It was horrible, buildings and people disappeared. Everything became so grey and dreary. In the confusion, I was dragged here, along with Sazh and our other friends."

"But we actually saw Fang and Vanille. They sent us here. How did they leave?" Gladiolus scratched the back of his head.

"You did?"

The men nodded.

Hope grinned. "Well, I'm glad some of us escaped this hell. My guess would be that since their bodies still laid dormant in the physical world, their souls were able to return when their crystal sleep was over."

For a moment, no one spoke. They tried to absorb the information Hope had given them. _This place is like a house of mirrors,_ Noctis mused. _Can't really see where the exit is. Or where anyone else is, I suppose._ Still, an uneasy feeling rested in Noctis's stomach. There were too many questions regarding Light, her past, and her present. He wanted nothing more than to go home and live peacefully with her.

* * *

Suddenly, Noctis realized that the music box was no longer playing its sepulchral tune. As much as he was relieved, an alarm went off in Noctis's mind. _Why did Claire stop it?_ He questioned.

He looked around the room. The music box was still on the floor, in the exact same place, but Claire was no longer sitting by it. Hope was talking to his friends about unimportant topics now, mostly just 'getting to know you' things. As they talked, Noctis snooped around the room. _Is she playing hide and seek or something?_ He wondered.

The more he searched the room for her, the more a feeling of panic set in. If she was playing hide and seek, it obviously was not contained to this room alone. She was gone.

"Hey," Noctis interrupted his friends' chatter. Their smiles dropped upon seeing the dread in his face. "Claire isn't here."

"What?" asked Hope, not believing the statement. When he saw himself that Noctis was right, he cursed under his breath. "Where did she go? When did she leave?" He set about pacing around the room like a maniac.

Ignis and Gladiolus looked around the room as well. Prompto looked out into the hallway. No one found even a trace of her.

"Ya miss me?"

At the sound of the voice, everyone's head snapped up to the doorway hoping to see Claire. Instead, Sazh stood scratching the scruff on his chin. He was the disappointed looks on the men's faces. "Uh, guess not," he joked.

"Sazh, Claire left the room. We have no idea where she went!" yelled Hope. "This isn't the time to be joking around!"

"What?" Sazh stepped forward. "I thought you could handle her!"

"I know what I said," snapped a frustrated Hope, clenching his hands into fists. He walked over to the wall and punched the unfeeling, painted structure. "I messed up!"

Sazh was about to say more while pointing his finger at Hope, until a younger man stepped out from behind Sazh and stopped him.

"No need to worry," said the man in a lighthearted tone. He pointed to himself with his thumb and grinned. "I'm the best tracker you'll find around here. We'll have her back in no time."

* * *

A/N: This chapter is a bit slow, I understand that. I thank all of you who made it through the chapter and are kind enough to leave reviews. This chapter gives some more answers to all of the questions floating around. We're getting close to the end!


	9. Chapter 9: Born Through Blood

A/N: I know most of you don't like Hope. I'm not that fond of him either, but I wanted to include the main group of Final Fantasy XIII. He's not a main character and is only in the eighth chapter, so rejoice. There is another Author's Note at the end of this chapter, please read it. Without further ado, enjoy the last chapter of my story.

* * *

"My name's Noel Kreiss," said the man with shaggy brown hair as he led Noctis and his friends through the castle. "I'd ask for your names, but right now we don't have the time."

"What do you mean?" asked Ignis.

"Serah wants to keep Light here, but she doesn't have the heart to actually kill her own sister. So she split Light's soul in half, one half is running around as a child. That half only has the memories of Light up to age ten. Because of this, it's easier for Serah to keep adult Light unconscious until she has the power to remove the other half of her soul. It takes a lot out of her."

Suddenly, Noctis wished that Noel would run faster. Lead them there faster. Find a short cut. Anything. If they don't reach Serah soon, then he can say goodbye to a life with Light.

As they progressed through the castle, the lights dimmed more and more until the only light was provided by moonlight streaming through windows. Ignis, always prepared, pulled a flashlight out of his suit and lit the way for the group. There were bodies propped up against the walls, their blood smeared. A small set of footprints, stemmed from the pools of still drying blood.

They must have been Claire's footprints. Noctis noticed that Noel was following them.

"So, why is Little Light running to Serah?" Prompto broke the silence.

"Because Serah must be preparing to remove the last half of Light's soul. She'll have to have Claire there to complete the soul, and then she'll just discard the body. It's not like it'll be needed anymore."

"Crazy bitch," muttered Noctis, he didn't know his opinion would set off Noel.

Noel spoke with angst filling his voice, "This is my fault. I shouldn't have let Serah continue to journey with me. She knew she would die, but she insisted that she would keep going. Just to be with Light again."

Stopping for a moment, Noel slammed his fist into the wall. He cried out, "She just became more and more obsessed, but I can never look at her without feeling the guilt swallow me." He looked at the men with a wild gleam in his eyes. "She died in my arms!"

"Have your outburst later. Right now, you have the chance to save someone," Ignis stated in his cold tone.

Noel nodded and continued onwards.

* * *

Noctis wanted to wake up. They had finally arrived at the throne room, but Serah hadn't noticed them yet. She sat on the throne in deep concentration. To her right, Claire stood in her tattered dress. To her left, Light was suspended by shadow chains, her head drooped to the side in her unconscious state. Noctis's blood began to boil.

With no stealth, Noctis burst into the room, followed by his friends. "Serah!" he cried. "Let Light go!"

With a sigh, Serah looked to her right and nodded at Claire. The little girl ran out of the throne room. Noctis turned to chase after her, but was halted by a hand on his shoulder. "I'll get Little Light. You get Big Light," said Prompto before running after Claire.

Summoning his power, Noctis aimed his army of swords towards Serah. She smirked. "Bring it," she taunted. Serah summoned her own power as her hair broke out of its ponytail and swirled around. "I can't die again anyway!" she cried.

Scowling, Noctis scent his swords at the devilish woman. She grinned maliciously and deflected the blades.

The next moments felt like hours to Noctis. While watching in horror, he was unable to do anything as some of the deflected blades tore through the unconscious Light. His feet were running forwards before he even told them to move. The shadow chains relinquished their grip on Light. Noctis caught her before she hit the ground and cradled her in his arms.

"Come on, Light. Open your eyes," pleaded Noctis.

Her breathing was shallow and labored. A groan escaped her lips. "You'll be all right," Noctis fought to keep his voice steady while it felt like everything that he was made of started to shatter. He felt panic when he glanced around the throne room. Splattered blood that should be in Light's body colored most things in the room.

Barely aware of his friends' presence, he ignored the pats on his shoulder or the words of comfort. Their words would have meant more to a deaf man than to Noctis. Feeling its weight in his pocket, Noctis pulled out the black, velvet box from its resting place. He removed the glistening diamond ring from within and slipped it onto Light's finger. "Will you marry me?" he whispered.

"Sis…" Serah hesitantly stepped forwards. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

For a moment, Noctis looked up and glared at Serah. In that moment, Light took her last breath. "This was your fault!" Noctis yelled at Serah before turning his attention to Light.

She lay still, as if made of stone. Neither wind nor rain would have the ability to move her. He was reluctant to lift the statue of a girl into his arms. _'What happened to you?_' he thought.

Lingering in the air, the scent was becoming second nature to him. It was blood, quickly cooling, metallic liquid that once sustained life.

She was dyed red, as if crimson teardrops were overflowing from her body's pain and sorrow. _'Her hair was pink once,'_ he told himself.

Now, the bloody locks were matted to her porcelain skin.

He allowed salty tears to drip down his face. He placed the girl onto his lap. Hovering inches from her pale face, his hand froze in place. Her eyes had to be closed. It's only normal that the eyes of a corpse are closed.

He couldn't close them. Piercing, they stared at him. Accusingly, they judged him. His hand shook before he was finally able to guide her eyelids over her eyes for the final time. _'You promised,'_ he could hear her voice whisper.

He had promised. Confidently, he told her that they would all return home. _So much for that plan…_

Noctis wanted to vomit. The smell of blood was thick in the air. It didn't help that there were spots of blood on him. It didn't help that the blood belonged to Light.

An ear-shattering scream penetrated the air. Noctis looked up to see the source of the scream: Serah. She had a ferocious look in her eyes which, when combined with her hair free of the ponytail, gave her a feral look. "Sis, I didn't get to live out my life either…" the pink haired girl stepped closer to her sister's body.

"I know how you feel." She took another step.

"Cheated." Another step.

"Unfulfilled." Another step.

Noctis held Light closer to him. "I'll make it up to you," Serah said in a sweet voice, taking another step closer to Light. Noctis stood with Light in his arms and took a step back.

With a wild grin, Serah finished her little speech. "I'll live your life for you!" she cried.

Everything glowed blindingly white. The ground shook and forced Noctis to his knees. Holding onto Light as if his life depended on it, he closed his eyes and willed himself to wake up from this nightmare.

* * *

The light's intensity died down. Opening his eyes, Noctis surveyed the area. He was home, in his garden, in the living world. Ignis and Gladiolus were standing up and staring at him with a strange expression. Wondering why, he looked down. In his arms, Light laid with her eyes closed. She was breathing and had no trace of a wound or blood.

Noctis sighed in pure relief and hugged Light tighter than he ever had before. "You're alive," he whispered over and over. The garden's warm breeze never felt so good on his skin. The smells never smelt so vibrant to his nose. The nightmare was finally over.

Light groaned. Noctis immediately shifted her in his arms so he could see her. His friends rushed over and kneeled by the unofficially engaged couple, excited to see Light alive and well once again.

Opening her eyes, Noctis smiled. Her eyes didn't look so icy anymore. They were a deeper blue, like the ocean. Light grinned and spoke, Noctis hadn't heard her voice in so long, but it seemed a bit off to him.

"Welcome home, Noctis," said Light, each word was dipped in venom and malice; they burnt Noctis as if he were ingesting poison.

His heart dropped.

Serah.

* * *

A/N: Sequel? I have a bit to say, so bear with me. Now, I see that I could have rated this T. Mostly because I've changed a lot of small details from the original idea.

If you would be interested in a sequel (I already have one planned, but if there's no interest, I won't post it), please let me know through a review or a PM. If there's no interest, I will simply move on and focus my energy on something else (I'd be a bit sad though D:)

I know there are a few things left unanswered, but those loose ends would be tied up in the sequel, I promise. Since I planned on doing a sequel before I even wrote this one, I left things unanswered for a reason. The number of hits slowly dwindled through the story, so if people are still interested in this idea I will continue as planned. Otherwise, I don't really have a plan B...

Thank you all so much for reading and I hoped you enjoyed this story. Please leave a review!


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